Support for Observers and Evaluators

All observers are supported in ensuring consistency across Instructional Leadership Teams (ILTs) within schools, and between schools across the district. These sessions are led by members of the Peer Observer team and provide a time for all observers in a building (leaders and team lead teachers) to observe a lesson together and then:

Collaborate as a team to ensure alignment of scoring and evidence (both student and teacher behaviors) to support scoring.

Identify and discuss the highest leverage feedback to provide teachers in order to improve practice.

Ensure teams have a common understanding of what effective teaching looks like and remain calibrated to the Framework for Effective Teaching (FET).

Throughout the year HR support partners are provided access to the LEAP application tool and use the data to inform conversations to support with principals regarding potential concerns and to ensure support strategies are in place to assist the teacher. Training is provided at both mid-year and end-of-year around how to use performance data to inform meaningful summative feedback to best support teachers.

Framework for Effective Teaching

The LEAP Mid-Year and End-of-Year Toolkit has been refined and is now called the Growth and Performance Conversation Guide. To see what is new this year, take some time to watch the listed screencasts below with your ILT as you prepare for your upcoming Mid-Year conversations:

New TeachersThe Playbook for Early Career Teacher Success to empower anyone who is coaching new teachers across the district. The Playbook offers clear guidance on the Gateway Skills that early career teachers should focus on first, and a clear outline of DPS’ Coaching Steps and Coaching Moves to help teachers make quick, measurable improvement toward our expectations for effective teaching and student learning.

The Student Perception Survey (SPS) provides teachers and school leaders with a unique perspective on teachers’ educational practice as experienced by students. Teachers and school leaders can utilize the SPS data to better understand students’ experiences, and then reflect on strengths and growth areas aligned to the SPS constructs, LEAP framework, and professionalism framework to improve practice and help every child succeed.